Ames, Iowa – The LSU women’s tennis team (13-11) had its 2023 team campaign come to a close on Friday afternoon after falling in the first round of the NCAA Ames Regional to No. 22 Wisconsin (20-6) by a score of 4-1 at Ames High School.
The defeat brings an end to a successful dual season campaign under first-year head coach Taylor Fogleman. The Tigers improved their win total by eight from last year, a program-high turnaround for a first-year head coach. Additionally, the team’s qualification for the NCAA Tournament marks the first time in program history a first-year head coach qualified for the tournament.
Taylor’s Thoughts
“It was a tough deck today,” head coach Taylor Fogleman said. “We had an injured team and wish we could have taken on Wisconsin at full strength, but sometimes that stuff is out of your control. Even with the tough circumstances, the ladies did what they did all year: compete. The team has done a tremendous job all season and deserves large credit for turning around what was a five-win season last year into making the NCAA Tournament this year. A tough, persistent, and gritty group”
“We’re excited for where the program stepped up from and where it’s heading. Now we’ll get Nas (Komar) and Kylie (Collins) ready to compete in the singles and doubles championships in a few weeks.”
Doubles Results
Taylor Cataldi and Charmaine Seah opened doubles with a 6-2 win over Noor Carrington and Nikita Vishwase at the No. 3 court.
The Badgers claimed the doubles point with a win at the top court after Xinyu Cai and Alina Mukhortova defeated Anastasiya Komar and Mia Rabinowitz by a score of 6-3.
Singles Results
Wisconsin took a 2-0 lead in the match after Vishwase retired due to an injury at the No. 5 court against No. 120 Cai. The score was 5-2 in favor of the Wisconsin player at the time of retirement.
Safiya Carrington earned her 20th singles win of the season and cut the deficit to 2-1 in the match after defeating No. 72 Maria Sholokhova in straight sets at the No. 2 spot. Carrington played a flawless first set as she blanked her opponent, 6-0. In the second set, Carrington only dropped two games as she went on to win by a score of 6-2 to secure her court. It’s the first time in Carrington’s collegiate career she’s reached the 20 singles win in a season mark.
The Badgers’ lead in the match extended to 3-1 after Cataldi defeated Nina Geissler at the No. 3 court. Cataldi took an early lead in the first set and won 6-2 before going on to win the second, 6-0, to secure the straight set win.
Wisconsin booked their spot into the second round after Mukhortova defeated doubles-foe Rabinowitz at the No. 4 spot. Mukhortova claimed the first set by a score of 6-3. Rabinowitz and Mukhortova battled in the second set as they traded games between one another, but Mukhortova claimed the final three straight to win 7-5 and score the clinching point for the Badgers.
Up Next
The NCAA Individual Championships will be held at the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Florida and will begin on May 22nd. Anastasiya Komar and Kylie Collins will compete individually in the singles championship and together as a doubles duo in the doubles championship.
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#22 Wisconsin 4, #41 LSU 1
Singles competition
- #59 Ava Markham (WIS) vs. #9 Anastasiya Komar (LSU) 6-7 (5-7), 4-3, unfinished
- Safiya Carrington (LSU) def. #72 Maria Sholokhova (WIS) 6-0, 6-2
- Taylor Cataldi (WIS) def. Nina Geissler (LSU) 6-2, 6-0
- Alina Mukhortova (WIS) def. Mia Rabinowitz (LSU) 6-3, 7-5
- #120 Xinyu Cai (WIS) def. Nikita Vishwase (LSU) 5-2, retired
- Charmaine Seah (WIS) vs. Noor Carrington (LSU) 6-2, 4-6, 2-1, unfinished
Doubles competition
- Xinyu Cai/Alina Mukhortova (WIS) def. Mia Rabinowitz/Anastasiya Komar (LSU) 6-3
- Ava Markham/Maria Sholokhova (WIS) vs. Safiya Carrington/Nina Geissler (LSU) 5-4, unfinished
- Taylor Cataldi/Charmaine Seah (WIS) def. Noor Carrington/Nikita Vishwase (LSU) 6-2
Match Notes:
LSU 13-11; National ranking #41
Wisconsin 20-6; National ranking #22
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1); Singles (5,2,3,4)
NCAA Tournament First Round